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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Call to support 48-year-old school

Call to support 48-year-old school

The decrepit state of Ecole Primaire Busake in Muhondo Sector of
Gakenke District, has forced parents to raise their voices seeking
immediate government intervention in building the school that opened
its doors in1963.

Some of the parents who spoke to The New Times
said children from neighbouring villages abandoned the school and opted
to make long distances to better schools.

“Our school still
operates in poor and rundown classroom structures which are even
dangerous to the lives of our children,” said Felix Ugrimbabazi, the
parent`s representative, in an interview.

He explained that parents are committed to contributing to the school`s development, but need extra support.

“We
have made bricks and (availed) quarry stones but we do not have more
funds to start construction or even buy other required materials,” he
lamented.

The school headmaster, Malachie Birege, said that, currently, the school has a pupil population of 287.

When
contacted to give a comment about the poor state of the school, the
district Education Officer, Jean Bosco Hakizimana, said of the
district’s plans to improve or redevelop the school.

“I only
assumed this office, last year, but we have come up with a work plan to
build and expand this school in a given timeframe -- at least in the
course of next year,” Hakizimana said.

He explained that the
school was operating under government management until 2007, when it
became independent, arguing that this had also made it lag behind.